Clubs aren't releasing scores from today's scrimmages.
So tiresome.
I think people need to embrace the imperfect nature of the game and controversy a bit more. This endless desire to make everything perfect is just at odds with the flow of the game.
I would rather watch in imperfect but flowing spectacle rather than a “perfect” game hacked up by stoppages in play and overly engineered rules
They're trying it out in "lower level leagues" but not D1 according to ESPN. I wonder if the USL will trial it?
It's really trying to fix a problem with referees who are too cowardly to give real penalties for dissent. This minor time out will hopefully be used more often.
I wouldn't want it in MLS unless it was properly tested and really improved things.
So, Ayo and Coello scored in one of the games according to the TFC Instagram feed.
Coello's goal was nice. It looks like Insigne may have been rested for that one.
To early to say anything but our biggest problem last year was scoring goals. We got 4 in 2 games.
Last edited by SenorDingDong; 02-11-2024 at 10:03 AM.
So, about that rumored 2-1 or 2-0 scoreline.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/ColumbusCrew/status/1756698539412058313?s=20
4-2 is better then 4-0. They are the MLS cup Champs.
Looking at those highlights Mabika played his role of a pylon really good . If they start the season with the three pylons in the back , Mabika , O’Neil and Rosted it will basically be 2023 all over again unfortunately no matter how great a motivator Herdman is .
In the Herdman interview he talked about holding them to 1-2 shots and sounded really positive. My guess is we won the first 60min 2-0 or so and then got pumped in the second game.
From MLSsoccer.com:
This is what worries me. With the pieces currently in place, I can't see anything else but a repeat of last season. If Herdman was somehow able to get this group into the playoffs, then that would be a damning indictment of the Bob Bradley era.Toronto still have high-priced DPs Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi. No takers for the Italian forwards, despite a steady flow of rumors.Beyond that, they acquired Honduran d-mid Deybi Flores and took Tyrese Spicer No. 1 overall in the SuperDraft. This squad, truthfully, hasn't changed much from 2023's Wooden Spoon finish (last place).
All that places extra emphasis on head coach John Herdman getting more out of the squad. It's a must.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1756524796211339309
Herdman interview after the scrimmage.
I'm not going to argue we're playoff bound, but I think the difference in management style is going to show. It may just be a rise back to mediocrity, but who knows, maybe he'll actually get something out of them.
He says "they only had a couple of shots across 90 minutes" and the last 30 minutes were for "opportunity", so that will have been the trial lists and TFC2 players, I imagine.
I think Columbus was playing mostly trialists and kids, and it was their first preseason game.
Also, even though they said they were keeping the Italians out, I could swear Fede is pulling the strings in midfield in parts of that Instagram video.
Thanks for posting this. It sounds like we’re in a place that’s about as good as could be under the circumstances.
I’m no fan of statistics and metrics scouting at home without actual scouts on the ground, but then it might be better than our previous, woeful approaches. I think we are going to, eventually, have to step up to a fully professional set up. It’s not like everyone in the league has this, by no means, but it is one of the things that will make a good club good in this league.
Herdman, on the other hand, I have no qualms about.
Bogert losing his gourd on Twitter because TFC said yesterday they didn't want to talk about the score
All looks a little bit like watching a middle school relationship breakup - nobody will care in a few weeks and in a few years nobody will remember the names of those involved
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/a-m...c42d2d7d5.html
King car not running past Shaw practically all season.
Take the exhibition streetcar or transfer to the Ossington at Shaw.
Only way to drive into Liberty Village will be Dufferin which will be a big mess after games.
Last edited by OgtheDim; 02-12-2024 at 04:36 PM.
The broadcasters for Apple have been announced
https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2024/...r-this-season/
In the studio, they have permanently replaced the New Jersey puckhead who knew nothing about the game & couldn't ask a question outside of the script with the effervescent Irish dude - he at least might sound energized by a goal.
The rest of the studio crew remains.
Nobody real special on the roster of play by play & analysts
The Spanish feed remains more interesting
I know what you mean. I'll have to renew to get the Toronto games though since only a handful will be on TSN. However, I really found with the time starts all being the same it was the first year I found myself not watching any other games that are just on randomly or throughout the day. I would turn on to watch Toronto right at the start and then turn it off right away because I wasn't enjoying the studio crew either or their breakdowns of things. They do a pre-game but it's for all of the teams and not a full breakdown of each team half hour before, at least the odd time when they were interested TSN would do a pre-game for Toronto or the Canadian teams playing. It all equals less news about each team and a 2 minute blurb about maybe who the lineup is and what to watch. Maybe as interest picks up they will start being able to have longer pre-games for each game going on with actual news that's relevant. Also not to mention once Messi joined it was all about him and Miami. Have to see what changes in year 2 with Apple.
Aside from the announcers, most of whom are seriously substandard and are clearly being picked by someone who isn't a football diehard, I have no issues with the actual quality, other than Apple deliberately hobbling the resolution of any Apple TV app that isn't on an Apple product.
But the scheduling is annoying. It's clearly to get all the games cleared off the books by evening, so people will transition from MLS to Apple's other offerings (many of which are really quite good). But it seriously dissuades watching as many games as possible. Instead of three or four games in a day, as I'd watch under the old MLS Season Ticket deal, I generally watch TFC and highlights packages, and that's it.
If there's an early kickoff game, I tend to watch that, too, although I noticed they scheduled them so close that to watch the end of the early game you would sometimes miss the start of the later game.
The puck head was worse...way worse. It was like talking to your Uncle at the family gathering table about your passion & he had a series of questions he prepared cause he knew that would be what you discussed.
The Irish dude grew up at least in a sports family - although I did see that he lost his WWE gig possibly because he wasn't good enough to do that role. And he was on Atlanta games before Apple came in.
Yeh, not great either way but I'd rather a dumb voice with some passion then a know nothing guy reading his notes off a prompter.
As for the rest - too large a stable needed each week and not enough people learning to do the craft below them.